The Legal Information Center has two copies of the book, which may be requested through its online catalog.

Sixth annual Wolf Family Lecture March 13

The topic of the sixth annual Wolf Family Lecture on the American Law of Real Property on March 13 at 11 a.m. in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center is “Property Law and the Rise, Life, and Demise of Racially Restrictive Coveneants.” The lecture will feature Carol Rose, the Gordon Bradford Tweedy Professor Emeritus of Law and Organization and Professorial Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School.

The lecture is free and open to the law school community and general public.

The Wolf Family Lecture Series was endowed by a gift from UF Law Professor Michael Allan Wolf, who holds the Richard E. Nelson Chair in Local Government Law, and his wife, Betty.

Past scholars who have delivered the Wolf Family Lecture in the American Law of Real Property include Thomas W. Merrill, Charles Evans Hughes Professor of Law at Columbia Law School; Gregory S. Alexander, A. Robert Noll Professor of Law at Cornell Law School; Lee Fennel, Max Pam Professor of Law at the University of Chicago; Joseph William Singer, Bussey Professor of Law at the Harvard Law School; and Vicki L. Been, Boxer Family Professor of Law and director of the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University School of Law.

UF Journal of Law and Public Policy hosts symposium on media law on March 14

Should false statements of fact be protected under the First Amendment? That was the question at issue in United States v. Alvarez, a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court case overturning the Stolen Valor Act, which attempted to criminalize individuals for lying about receiving a military medal. More recently, however, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a new version of the Stolen Valor Act, creating penalties for individuals who lie about receiving military medals and who profit from the deception.

This is the topic of the 2013 Journal of Law and Public Policy’s Annual Symposium, which will be hosted March 14 in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center at the UF Levin College of Law. Panelists include UF Law Professor Lyrissa Lidsky, attorney Craig D. Feiser and Colonel Michael L. Smidt, staff judge advocate of U.S. Special Operations Command.

The event will begin with a reception at 11:30 a.m., a panel discussion at noon and a question-and-answer session. It will be open to students, professors and practitioners.

Come and hear what these experienced professionals have to say on this controversial issue. CLE credit will be offered. Click here for more information on the symposium or here for more information on JLPP.

Dean hosts Music Night March 17

Got a hidden musical talent? Show it off at the upcoming Music Night 2013 to be held Sunday, March 17, at 7 p.m. at the home of Dean Robert Jerry and his wife, Lisa. All students and faculty are invited – but the “ticket” to attend is that you must bring a dessert and agree to perform a musical piece (play an instrument or sing a song). A piano will be available. Each participant can bring one guest. Space is limited, so sign up is on a first-come, first-serve basis. To register, stop by the Dean’s Office and see Doris Perron.

CSRRR spring lecture, panel examines Trayvon Martin case on March 20

The Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations’ 10th annual Spring Lecture & Panel Discussions, “At Close Range: The Curious Case of Trayvon Martin,” will feature New York Times visual op-ed columnist Charles Blow. The event is March 20 in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180.

Participants include UF faculty and graduate students from history, journalism, African-American studies, sociology, anthropology, law, education, political science, English, philosophy and health services research. Panelists will discuss a range of topics including racial bias and media perspectives and they will recommend policy changes.

Blow joined The New York Times in 1994 as a graphics editor and quickly became the paper’s graphics director, a position he held for nine years. Blow went on to become the paper’s design director for news before leaving in 2006 to become the art director of National Geographic Magazine.

Blow often appears on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, Starting Point and AC360. He has also appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell and Hardball with Chris Matthews, Headline News’ The Joy Behar show, Fox News’ Fox and Friends, the BBC and Al Jazeera, as well as numerous radio programs.

32nd Annual Dunwody Distinguished Lecture in Law

The Florida Law Review welcomes Professor Randy Barnett as the 32nd Annual Dunwody Distinguished Lecturer in Law. Barnett, the Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory at the Georgetown University Law Center, will discuss the recent United States Supreme Court decision upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 22, in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Barnett has written and commented extensively on the Affordable Care Act and represented the National Federal of Independent Businesses as its case against the ACA was presented before the Supreme Court last spring. Barnett will discuss the general implications of the court’s landmark decision, as well as fundamental misunderstandings he perceives among the legal academic community regarding the decision’s import. Barnett’s lecture, “Who Won the Obamacare Case (and Why Did So Many Law Professors Miss the Boat)?” precedes an article of the same name to be published in an upcoming edition of the Florida Law Review.

Electronic Discovery for the Small and Medium Case April 4-5

The University of Florida Levin College of Law and Electronic Discovery Reference Model are pleased to announce the first-of-its-kind conference devoted to “Electronic Discovery for the Small and Medium Case.” The conference will be held April 4 and 5, 2013, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and will be broadcast live. Students may view the webcasts free of charge.

The conference will focus on solutions to the difficulties, issues, and decisions that attorneys face in competently and cost-effectively handling e-discovery in small and medium cases. The conference will feature demonstrations of a new generation of right-sized e-discovery software and tools for each phase of the e-discovery process in small and medium sized cases and include starter e-discovery toolkits for each in-person attendee.

The toolkits will contain trial licenses for e-discovery software used to preserve and collect electronically stored information (ESI) from desktops to the web; convert collected ESI to usable forms; perform rapid, powerful searches; and facilitate production of relevant, responsive ESI. Representatives from AccessData, Catalyst, Digital WarRoom, iConect, kCura, LexisNexis Litigation Solutions, Nuix, Pinpoint Labs, X1 Discovery and others will be on hand to demonstrate the ease and accessibility of their products – helping attendees test-drive their toolkits.

Online attendees will receive a limited version of the e-discovery toolkit; for the full toolkit you must attend in person.

Whether you attend in person or watch the live stream, don’t miss this chance to learn how to translate e-discovery challenges into a winning strategies.

For more information:

]]>CSRRR welcomes new assistant director, Anju Davidsonhttps://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2012/10/csrrr-welcomes-new-assistant-director-anju-davidson/
Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:30:10 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/?p=6585UF Law is pleased to welcome Anju Kaduvettoor Davidson, the new assistant director of the Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations.

Before coming to UF, Davidson worked at Loyola University Maryland as a staff psychologist. She received her master’s and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Lehigh University.

Her academic career has centered on research related to racial discrimination, namely discrimination against South Asians. She hopes to tie in this experience with her work for the CSRRR, where she will be assisting the center with research, collaborating with law students and other members of the law school and UF communities, and seeking to increase student involvement in the center’s programs and initiatives.

Are there valid secular public policy arguments against the legalization of same-sex marriage? Is the failure to legalize same-sex marriage one example of our society’s discrimination against the LGBTQ community? Will the adoption of same-sex marriage weaken the government’s ability to facilitate and incentivize procreative relationships between heterosexual couples? The UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw present a civil discourse on same-sex marriage Wednesday at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180, with Professor Richard Esenberg of Marquette University Law School and UF Law Professor Rachel Rebouché.

Come hear a discussion on secular arguments for and against the legalization of same-sex marriage. Free Publix subs and chicken tenders for attendees.

About the speakers:Professor Richard Esenberg currently teaches at Marquette University Law School. For the past ten years, Professor Esenberg served as vice president and general counsel of Rite Hite Holding Corporation in Milwaukee. From 1981 to 1997, he was an associate and then partner at Foley & Lardner. Esenberg has overseen international acquisitions and business expansions throughout Europe, Latin America, and Canada. Esenberg holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He teaches Civil Procedure, Election Law, Wisconsin Supreme Court and Law and Theology.

Professor Rachel Rebouché is an assistant professor of law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School where she was the editor-in-chief for the Harvard Journal of Law and Gender. She received her LL.M. from Queen’s University, Belfast, and her B.A. from Trinity University. Rebouché has worked as the associate director of Adolescent Health Programs, and was a law clerk to Justice Kate O’Regan of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. She is currently associate director at the UF Law Center for Children & Families, an advisor for the Family Law Society, and an affiliated faculty for the Center for Women’s Studies & Gender Research. In 2012, Rebouché received 1 of only 10 campuswide UF Excellence Awards for assistant professors. She joined the UF law faculty in 2010.

Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations hosts open house

The CSRRR will host an open house Wednesday from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the CSRRR meeting room, HOL 370D.

Glasser Barbecue slated for Oct. 9

The Levin College of Law is holding a free barbecue for all students, faculty and staff Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Marcia Whitney Schott Courtyard. The food is from Hill’s Bar-B-Que in Gainesville and the event is sponsored by the Gene K. and Elaine Glasser Endowment. The Glassers, who are both UF alumni, have sponsored the event for the past several years. They hope the annual event will foster a greater sense of community among people at the law school. “The law school education I received at the University of Florida has greatly influenced my professional and personal life, creating lasting memories with my friends,” said Gene Glasser, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who received his juris doctor degree from UF Law in 1972. The event is a great chance for incoming students to get to know one another and feel like a part of the law school community. During the event, the Office of Communications will post photos on the UF Law Facebook page and we invite attendees to submit their comments on the photos to thank the Glassers for their contributions to the law school.

Join UF Oct. 12 to honor black leadership

Leadership and Law: Diverse Perspectives on the Role of Race and Participation in Professional Legal Organizations (CLE Credit Anticipated), 12-2:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, UF Law Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. Welcome reception and luncheon noon-1 p.m.; panel presentation 1-2:30 p.m. with leaders from national, state, and local bar associations discussing how race has influenced the past, present, and future of their respective organizations in order to foster a dialogue on avenues for leadership and joint initiatives that transcend racial and other divides. Funded by The Florida Bar in cooperation with the 8th Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Josiah T. Walls Bar Association and Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations. RSVP here.

A celebration honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Graduation of the University of Florida and Levin College of Law’s First Black alumnus: W. George Allen, featuring presentations by W. George Allen and other honored guests, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (180 HOL). Co-sponsored by the University of Florida Alumni Association and Association of Black Alumni, Levin College of Law & Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations. Read more.

The Weyrauch Distinguished Lecture in Family Law will feature Harvard Law School Professor Janet Halley on “Traveling Marriage: Why the Campaign for Same Sex Marriage Gets Marriage Wrong,” Thursday, Oct. 18, at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180. Hosted by the Center for Children and Families, this lecture was established in honor of Professor Walter O. Weyrauch, internationally known for his work in foreign and family law. Professor Weyrauch joined the UF Law faculty in 1957 as associate professor. He became professor in 1960, was Clarence J. TeSelle Professor 1989-94, and became Stephen C. O’Connell Chair in 1994 and distinguished professor in 1998. A reception will follow the lecture.

Halley is the Royall Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She teaches courses in family law, comparative family law and sexuality, and legal theory. Before teaching at Harvard, she was professor of law at Stanford Law School (1991-2000) and assistant professor of English at Hamilton College (1980-85). She has a Ph.D. in English from UCLA (1980) and a J.D. from Yale Law School (1988).

Her books include After Sex? On Writing Since Queer Theory, co-edited with Andrew Parker (Duke University Press 2011); Split Decisions: How and Why to Take a Break from Feminism (Princeton University Press 2006); Left Legalism/Left Critique, co-edited with Wendy Brown (Duke University Press, 2002); Don’t: A Reader’s Guide to the Military’s Anti-Gay Policy (Duke Univ. Press, 1999); and Seeking the Woman in Late Medieval and Renaissance Literature: Essays in Feminist Contextual Criticism, co-edited with Sheila Fisher (University of Tennessee Press, 1989). Her current projects include a handbook, What’s Not to Like about Sexual Harassment Law; a paper comparing family law systems entitled “Travelling Marriage;” and a critique of the rules about sexual violence in war established by the ad hoc courts convened to adjudicate war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

The Criminal Justice Center and the Criminal Law Association is pleased to host its inaugural criminal video-advocacy competition this fall. The competition solicits submissions by student teams of an original, creative and educational video portrayal of Fourth Amendment issues geared toward a college-student audience

Cash prizes will be awarded for first through third places.

All law students enrolled at the Levin College of Law are eligible to enter.

Deadline for submissions is Oct. 22. Winners will be announced on Nov. 10.

The submissions will be evaluated by members of a judging panel; criteria include clarity of thought, well-structured argumentation, creative use of videography and liveliness of expression.

Decisions of the judging panel will be final. Complete rules of the competition are available at the CJC website (www.law.ufl.edu/academics/centers/cjc) or can be obtained from Eva Achero in Room 100, Bruton-Geer Hall.

Applications open for 2013 Evan Yegelwel Summer Fellowship

The Evan Yegelwel Summer Fellowship award permits one UF Law student to participate in a paid Summer Fellowship Program at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Florida Regional Office in Boca Raton. The Yegelwel Summer Fellowship award is $4,000. The ADL is a premier national civil rights organization that fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry in the U.S. and abroad, combats international terrorism, probes the roots of hatred, comes to the aid of victims of bigotry, develops educational programs, and serves as a public resource for government, media, law enforcement, all toward the goal of countering and reducing hatred. A generous gift from Evan Yegelwel (JD 80) has made this fellowship possible. Yegelwel is a partner in the Jacksonville law firm of Terrell Hogan Ellis Yegelwel, P.A. Click here for more fellowship and application information.

The UF Law Externship Program offers students the opportunity to earn academic credit while working in a variety of legal settings. Externships are offered in Florida and throughout the United States and include placements such as government agencies; state and federal courts, non-profit organizations, and corporations. Externships are offered in areas such as family law, criminal law, health care, local government, and higher education law, just to name a few.

Today at 5 p.m. in HOL 345, learn about the externship program requirements, the application process for Spring externships, deadlines for applications, required documentation and much more. If you are interested in applying for these valuable opportunities, it is very important that you attend this meeting.

Legal Careers with the Navy JAG Corps

Thursday from 1 to 1:50 p.m. in HOL 285D.

Join Naval JAG Officer Matt Kozyra to learn about:

The Benefits of Navy JAG Legal Careers

The Commissioning Process

Internship Opportunities\

Gerald T. Bennett American Inn of Court

The Gerald T. Bennett American Inn of Court is accepting applications from second- and third-year law students. The Bennett Inn, co-sponsored by the University of Florida Levin College of Law, is dedicated to improving the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar through the assessment of cutting edge legal trends, innovation and technology. Last year’s meeting topics included “Presenting Your Online Self: Safely and Ethically Using Online Advertising and Social Media,” “E-Discovery Practice,” “Using Social Media in Litigation,” and “Use of Technology in Trial Preparation and Presentation.”

The Bennett Inn will host a champagne and cupcake reception Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in HOL 180 or the Courtyard (depending on weather). All are welcome to come and learn about the Bennett Inn and meet current members. The student application for membership can be found at Bennettinn.org. Applications are due by 9/18 to Membership Chair Mary K. Wimsett, mkwimsett@adoptionlawfl.com. You may also direct any questions about the reception to her, or to your 2012 Board Members, Bryan Griffin bryandgriffin@gmail.com or Michael Hacker mike814@ufl.edu.

The Bennett Inn is a chartered member of the American Inns of Court, America’s oldest, largest and fastest growing legal mentoring organization. The Bennett Inn is a cooperative learning Inn, which distinguishes it from other Inns in Florida because student members sit on the Executive board and each group has a student leader coupled with a master/barrister to engage in true cooperative learning with a strong mentoring component. Members join with local judges and lawyers dedicated to restoring the nobility and ideals of the legal profession in a hands-on, practical way. The Bennett Inn meets approximately once a month during both semesters on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 in the Faculty Dining Room.

Constitution Day at UF

The University of Florida celebrates this year’s Constitution Day with “The Affordable Care Act: The U.S. Constitution Meets Health Care Reform,” featuring talks and a discussion from UF Law Professor Steven Willis and Associate General Counsel at Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, Inc., Andrei Boyarshinov. The discussion will be Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. in the Advocacy Center courtroom. For complete details, read the press release here: http://www.law.ufl.edu/news/2012/09/04/constitution-day-celebration-examines-health-care-reform/.

‘Women, Work, and Family in the 2012 Presidential Campaign’ roundtable Sept. 19 at UF Law

The Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research and the League of Women Voters of Alachua County will present Sept. 19 a roundtable to discuss “Women, Work and Family in the 2012 Presidential Campaign” at 6:30 p.m. in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180.

This discussion and community event will feature Lynn Leverty, UF Department of Political Science; UF Law Professor Shani King; state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston; state Sen. Evelynn Lynn, R-Daytona; with moderator Pegeen Hanrahan, former mayor of Gainesville. The panelists will focus on representations of gender and sexuality during this electoral season.

The event is presented with support from the Levin College of Law, the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and Association for Academic Women.

ELULP hosts potluck reception Sept. 20

A potluck reception for all students and faculty with an interest in environmental and land use law will be held at the home of Professor Mary Jane Angelo on Thursday, Sept. 20,at 6 p.m. Bring your favorite dish and get to know some students and faculty who share your interests.

RSVP to Lenny Kennedy at lkennedy@law.ufl.edu and let her know if you need directions to Professor Angelo’s home.

Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations (CSRRR) hosts open house

The CSRRR will host an open house Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the CSRRR meeting room, HOL 370D.

Students, faculty and other members of the UF Law community gathered March 28 to hear the CSRRR panel, which discussed the legal aspects of the Trayvon Martin case. (Photo by Maggie Powers)

It would be three weeks after Trayvon Martin’s body lay on the sidewalk before Michelle Jacobs heard the Sanford, Fla., boy’s name.

“The media wasn’t interested in Trayvon Martin,” Jacobs told a packed crowd March 28 at the UF Law Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations panel that discussed the case that has stoked a national debate and left many with troubled hearts and unanswered questions. “Trayvon Martin wasn’t newsworthy.”

And that’s because Martin’s story is one that’s been told before.

Martin was fatally shot in the Orlando suburb by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, while walking home from a convenience store Feb. 26. Martin was unarmed, but Zimmerman shot Martin in what he said was an act of self-defense.

Jacobs had only heard of Martin after discussing “the talk” with fellow professor Monique Haughton-Worrell that black mothers are forced to have with their sons about subserviently obeying police officers when — not if — they’re confronted by law enforcement.

By the time Jacobs had that conversation with Haughton-Worrell, the 17-year-old had nearly been forgotten after three weeks.

Now, after almost 2.3 million online petition signatures, a social media stampede calling for “Justice for Trayvon” and a delayed media whirlwind, Martin has become the latest poster boy for the searing racial tensions in America.

The two-and-a-half-hour CSRRR event, “A Conversation on the Shooting Death of Trayvon Martin,” featured a panel of four black law professors, two white law professors and an audience that tried to understand the messy legal web with Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” statute at its epicenter.

Going so far as to call it a “bad law,” Michael Seigel, criminal law professor and director of the Criminal Justice Center and the criminal clinics, said the stand your ground statute — the self-defense law Zimmerman invoked in the death of Martin — has a host of internal issues that need to be revised.

“(Stand your ground) has put a chill factor on prosecutors to do their job,” Seigel said.

Many panelists agreed, including Haughton-Worrell, who went so far as to say Zimmerman would not be sent to prison in Martin’s death.

The law’s record seems to echo Seigel.

According to a Tampa Bay Times March analysis, defendants have invoked the stand your ground statute at least 130 times since the law’s 2005 birth. Of those cases, 28 have been brought to trial, and 19 of those instances resulted in a guilty verdict.

But beyond the stand your ground statute, the Martin case has created a media firestorm and nationwide outpourings of grief because of its racial undertones.

“One reason this case has got so much attention is because it’s racialized from top to bottom,” panelist and law professor Kenneth Nunn added.

Jacobs added to the discussion of the “racialization of Trayvon Martin” by suggesting the case was impacted by racism before it even began.

In order for self-defense to become a legitimate rallying cry, Nunn said, a victim must feel it is a “reasonable” occasion to use force.

According to Jacobs, the ever-present social perceptions of black Americans have created a “reasonable” suspicion of violence that will, according to her, allow Zimmerman to use this defense in his case.

“If you turn on the TV just once, you are infected by American racism,” Jacobs added. “The normative racist values that drive the American justice system — that’s what the Trayvon Martin case is all about.”

The panel also featured Katheryn Russell-Brown, director of the CSRRR, and law professor George Dekle.

]]>JLPP, CSRRR host ‘Race Talk in the Age of Obama’ Feb. 8https://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2012/01/jlpp-csrrr-host-race-talk-in-the-age-of-obama-feb-8/
Mon, 09 Jan 2012 01:48:55 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=417The UF Journal of Law and Public Policy (JLPP) and the Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations (CSRRR) will host a panel discussion Wednesday, Feb. 8, from noon – 2 p.m. in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180. A reception will follow.

The event, “Race Talk in the Age of Obama,” will be a timely and provocative panel discussion by contributors to the December 2011 issue of the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Representing diverse race, gender and academic perspectives, panelists will discuss how they confront race at a time when many claim America is now a post-racial society.

In light of the historic election of President Barack Obama, how does race matter? How should we engage in everyday conversations about race at work, at school and informally? What are the potential risks and benefits? What are the consequences of not talking about race? What is “critical citizenship” and how does it impact public policy and our work as students, lawyers and educators?

]]>Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations hosts open house on Thursdayhttps://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2011/09/center-for-the-study-of-race-and-race-relations-hosts-open-house-on-thursday/
Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:22:24 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=202The CSRRR will host an open house Thursday from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the CSRRR conference room, HOL 370D. All are welcome. Learn more about the center at http://www.law.ufl.edu/centers/csrrr/.
]]>Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations hosts open house Sept. 22https://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2011/09/center-for-the-study-of-race-and-race-relations-hosts-open-house-sept-22/
Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:26:13 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=222The CSRRR will host an open house Thursday, Sept. 22, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the CSRRR conference room, HOL 370D. All are welcome. Learn more about the center at http://www.law.ufl.edu/centers/csrrr/.
]]>News Briefs February 21, 2011https://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2011/02/news-briefs-february-21-2011/
Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:44:03 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/?p=5641UF Law Trial Team Exhibition takes place Thursday
In celebration of the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center Courtroom Opening, the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law Trial Team will host an exhibition on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. in the courtroom. Judge Paul Huck, U.S. Federal District Court Judge in Miami, will preside over the case of People v. Livingston, where the defendant is charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. The advocates making their case are Anita McNulty (2L), Dan Hogan (3L), Rhett Parker (3L) and Mike Quintero (3L). The witnesses in the case are played by Georgia Buckhalter (2L) and James Baley (3L). Special thanks to Daniella Chacoa (2L), Tiana Beaudouin (2L) and Gillian Sykes (2L), who helped the advocates prepare. The event is free and all are invited to attend.

All seven Florida Supreme Court justices to judge Maguire Appellate Advocacy Competition on Friday
The law school community is invited to watch as members of the Florida Moot Court Team, (pictured at right), showcase their oral advocacy skills to all seven members of the Florida Supreme Court on Friday. The 27th annual Maguire Appellate Advocacy Competition, formerly known as the Raymer F. Maguire Moot Court Final Four Competition, will be held at 10 a.m. in UF Law’s Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center Courtroom. The event is free and open to the public — the law school community is encouraged to attend. The exhibition allows moot court team members to receive useful critiques regarding their oral arguments as they prepare for the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition. This year’s team consists of Wilbert Vancol (3L), Leah Edelman (3L), Katie Tinsley (3L), David Hughes (3L), David Evans (3L) and Monica Haddad (2L). During the exhibition, Vancol and Edelman will present arguments for Petitioner, and Haddad and Evans will argue for Respondent. The Maguire exhibition provides UF Law students a unique opportunity to observe these outstanding law students exhibit their oral advocacy skills. Providing critiques for the oral arguments will be the justices of the Florida Supreme Court: Chief Justice Charles T. Canady, Justice Barbara J. Pariente, Justice R. Fred Lewis, Justice Peggy A. Quince, Justice Ricky Polston, Justice Jorge Labarga (JD 79) and Justice James E.C. Perry. First-year law students interested in being a part of the Florida Moot Court Team are highly encouraged to attend the Maguire Competition to see the team in action. Additionally, the team will hold a question and answer session for all interested 1Ls Wednesday, March 2, at noon. Pizza will be provided at the session, and 1Ls will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Florida Moot Court Team, the try-out process and general appellate advocacy issues. For questions regarding the information session, please contact Jennifer Sharp.

Faculty scholarship & activities
Last week, Professor Mark Fenster discussed conspiracy theories in a radio interview; Professor Gugliuzza was a panelist in a recent Washington, D.C., panel looking at court decisions; Professor Amy Mashburn talked about a class action lawsuit; Professor McMahon was published in Tax Notes; Dean Emeritus Jon Mills was appointed to an ABA task force and the results of a CGR study are referenced in an article on Florida Main Street programs.Faculty scholarship & activities »

UF Law’s Center on Children & Families co-hosts presentations on collaborative and therapeutic family law
Barry Law Review and UF Law Center on Children and Families will host “Collaborative and Therapeutic Family Law: Theory and Practice” Friday, March 11, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Orlando. Area and state experts will offer their expertise. To register, contact Debbie Willis willisd@law.ufl.edu or 352-273-0613 by Feb. 22 and fill out this form.

Submit art for Sixth Annual UF Law Student/Faculty Art Show by March 14
Mark your calendars for the upcoming UF Law Student/Faculty Art Show Wednesday, March 16, in the Legal Information Center at 7 p.m. The Art Law Society will have a silent auction for selected works and all proceeds will benefit Shands Arts in Medicine program. There also will be wine, food and live music. If you are interested in submitting your artwork, send the following information to f.c.tripp@gmail.com by March 14 at 5 p.m.: title, artist’s name, date created, dimensions of the work/length of video, medium (i.e., oil on canvas, photography, etc) and whether you would like to donate the work for the silent auction.

CSRRR hosts Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree Thursday, March 24
The Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations presents its spring lecture with Charles J. Ogletree, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law and director of the Charles Hamilton, Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Harvard University. The lecture takes place at noon, March 24, in Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (HOL 180) with a reception and book signing at 1 p.m. Ogletree will discuss his book, The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Race, Class and Crime in America (Palgrave Macmillan 2010). This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/centers/csrrr/events.shtml.

‘Coffee with the Dean’ resumes Wednesday
Dean Robert Jerry will resume a program he has hosted for several years called “Coffee with the Dean” Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m. Up to 15 students can sign up, first-come, first-served, to meet him in the Faculty Dining Room for coffee and doughnuts. He will have three sessions this semester and each will last about an hour. If you have concerns, questions, a compliment about a member of the faculty or staff, or topics you would like to discuss with the dean, please sign-up by sending an e-mail to Ellen Robinson at robinsone@law.ufl.edu. In addition, the John Marshall Bar Association will host another Town Hall meeting Wednesday, March 30, at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (HOL 180).

Law student to publish work in e-book, assume editorship of the Global Journal of Peer Review
After graduation, Eric N. Grosch (3L) will publish Clinical-Performance Peer-Review: The Triumph of Fallacy, a work unique in its scientific, logical, legal and philosophical treatment of its medical topic. It contains: (1) proof that clinical-performance peer-review, as practiced, cannot generate reliable findings and that it is counterproductive of its claimed purpose, to maintain and improve quality of clinical care. (2) Evidence that, for clinical-performance peer-review, courts disregard proper legal principles and logic to which they adhere in other cases. (3) Evidence that state legislatures and Congress have produced misguided laws, establishing clinical-performance peer-review-based on no evidence of its efficacy in maintaining or improving quality of clinical care or of its accuracy in identifying good or errant physicians or in distinguishing them. (4) Solutions to enable decision-makers to avoid pitfalls and to found the healthcare-system on principles that fulfill its clinical mission. (5) Defense tactics against bad-faith peer-review.

Princeton Review seeks input from law students
The Princeton Review has once again named the University of Florida Levin College of Law one of the best law schools in the nation. Distinguished schools will be profiled in the 2012 edition of Best Law Schools. In order to help them represent UF Law accurately, please fill out the following survey to author a new “Students Say” profile and update our ratings.

]]>CSRRR research assistants foster race relationshttps://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2011/01/csrrr-research-assistants-foster-race-relations/
Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:37:19 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/?p=5656The Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations (CSRRR) has enabled two UF Law students to undertake the challenging task of fostering race-related dialogue within the academic community.

As research assistants for the center, Adrienne Biddings (3L) and Eferiekose Ukala (1L) have the opportunity to work with distinguished faculty, plan engaging events and inform others about the important role of race in society.

Biddings started working at the CSRRR in fall 2008. She became interested in the center’s activities after attending events including race conversations as a first-year law student.

“I liked the events that they held and the opportunities that they gave to the law school community,” Biddings said.

Biddings, who is working towards both a JD and a master’s degree in mass communications, is motivated by a desire to make a difference.

“When you come to your last year you want to get involved in more things you are passionate about and things that give you the opportunity to, at least before you go out there in the real world, give back,” she said.

Some law students get so caught up in their work, that they forget that there is a world outside of law school, Biddings said.

Ukala is looking forward to working with CSRRR Director Katheryn Russell-Brown, who has researched such issues as racial profiling and the effects of the interaction of race and justice.

“I think its going to contribute tremendously to my law school experience because the study of race and race relations is an area I’m really passionate about,” Ukala said.

Ukala has a personal interest in doing this kind of research. She wrote her undergraduate thesis on ethnocide in Nigeria.

“I particularly chose that because it was kind of close and the issue of Nigeria is not one that has been highly publicized,” Ukala said.

Ukala is also interested in studying international law to see how different countries attempt to bring themselves under one regulatory system, she said.

“I like to find answers, although research doesn’t always give you that definite answer, Ukala said. “It sort of points you in the right direction.”

“I chose UF Law because, besides Florida having the beautiful weather, it gave me the opportunity to study under very prominent faculty,” she said.

By serving as research assistants at the CSRRR, both Biddings and Ukala are able to investigate a variety of race-related issues. In fall 2008, Biddings helped Professor Michelle Jacobs coordinate a discussion about the role of race in the 2008 presidential election.

“I worked together with Professor Jacobs to come up with different questions and I interviewed people out in the law school community to get some topic areas,” Biddings said.

Biddings encourages her fellow law students to attend the center’s events and take advantage of its scholarships, oral competitions and writing competitions.

“The more people that know about it, the more willing they will be to give back and spread it around to other people that this is a great center at UF to be involved in,” she said. “I’m graduating soon. The center is going to be here forever.”